what do you think about the future of dogs?

1) Unfortunately, thats becoming a big problem and while I doubt these mutts will have societal purebred status, it is likely that the majority of the public won't know the difference. I'm more concerned that the mass breeding of these mutts will ruin the pure bred dogs that we DO have.

2) No. Absolutely not. As long as its legal to market animals as goods, it will never stop. As the demand for animals goes up by way of "hybrid" breeding [as its called], so will the amount of mills and shops.

3) Some shelters already euthanize within the hour of a dogs arrival unless there is definite certainty of an animal having an owner [collar, tags, rabies tag, etc]. I've been pushing for all stray dogs picked up to have same-day spay and neuters regardless of if they have a possible owner or not. Our county shelter is considering it, and there's a 70% chance of it going to a second vote.

4) Absolutely-- but very little impact. Information reaches those who are looking for it or who have no choice but to notice it. One of my best friends is a 7'th grade Language Arts/English teacher and does a two month long saga on Puppy Mills and adopting from shelters-- and she makes it WORK for her. Since she's been teaching the adoption rate has gone up in our county, population control has become something with lesser worries, and these kids are educating their friends and families. She's one of the best advocates I've *ever* seen.

Her *school* page: http://www.w-v.k12.ky.us/middleschool/classhomepag...

The Joe-Schmoes of the world are doing more than most of these crazy "advocate" groups who put the dollar sign out there in order to "save" an animal. "PETA needs your donations to stop the fur market!" Save.

1. No. With very few exceptions, none of these "breeders" is actually trying to create a breed, and the few that are don't know how to go about it. Even if they did actually take the necessary steps to create a breed, they would need to come up with a more proper name than "labradoodle".

Look at the Cockapoos. They've been around for about 50 years, and they're still not a breed.

2. The two are not the same. There are commercial breeders, and then there are puppymills.

True puppymills will not stop until cruelty/neglect laws are given importance and actually enforced. There are already laws on the books that puppymills are in violation of.

Commercial breeders will probably not stop, because people want the convenience of buying a puppy in the store, with a credit card, no questions asked, that they can breed or do whatever they want with. That's not gonna change.

3. Shelter populations are dropping in most areas.

4. I think that it would require an overall culture change, in which people stopped being self-centred and irresponsible overall.

Right now it's all me me me and what *I* want, screw the rest of you.

1. Will "designer" names become acceptable purebreeds with their own breed standards? (ex like labradoodle, morkie, etc will become just as "purebreed" as "golden retriever")

All I can say is no, only because the mixes don't breed true. How can you set standards for a dog that can come out looking anything like one parent or the other? The second generations don't even breed true. The closest thing that does, is the Australian Labradoodle, but it's still just a mix--until it isn't. Were it to breed true, and have real, attainable--yet challenging--standards, then I would NOT be opposed to the breeds making it as a new breed. But a typical DD mix will NOT breed true. Every pup in the litter will look different, so how do you set up a standard??? You can't. And until that happens, I do NOT want to see them on any "breed list"

2. Will puppymills ever stop? aka...will the public stop buying puppies from petstores?

Probably not without legistlation outlawing them. Will that happen? No, I don't think so. But knowledge is the only thing that's going ot make any difference. So people need to keep advocating, and spreading the word. Start with coworkers, friends and family.

3. How will shelters adjust if the population keeps growing? Will they euthanize a dog after being left there for just one hour as opposed to the many that euthanize at 24 hours now?

It's not up to shelters to fix this, it's up to DOG OWNERS to fix this. Spayed and neutered pets would reduce the canine population DRASTICALLY. Shelters do the best they can with so little. If only the public would help...

4. Do you think animal advocates are making any progress against puppymills, bybs, and educating the public against them and teaching responsible pet ownership?

Every time a puppymill closes, and every time a random person spays/neuters, someone got through to them. Every time a friend rescues, every time someone volunteers and donates, someone got through to them. Yes, I think progress is happening, it's just slow.

I'll answer this as diplomatically as I can.

1. Designer dogs are already getting standards, and they may eventually breed pure. A lot of dogs were created by mixing several breeds together, eventually they begin to breed pure and become a breed. So it could happen to other designer breeds.

2. Commercial breeding will most likely not stop, and there's a reason for that. Reputable breeders don't fill the demand for puppies, there are not enough reputable puppies to fill the need out there. That's where commercial breeding facilities come into the picture. They produce puppies on a mass scale to fill the large need there is for puppies. So they will most likely not stop.

3. The shelters will also have to continue to grow in size until they become too large, then they will start euthanizing. I have never heard of one that euthanizes after 24 hours, but that's just in my area. I highly doubt that they will euthanize them after 1 hour, that's just a little ridiculous.

4. Possibly, but there will always be stupid people out there. Sorry that wasn't very diplomatic.

1. I hope not. Realistically, I don't think it'll happen, thankfully. Without a breed club, a defined set of goals, and a group of dedicated fanciers who work towards those goals using scientific, sound animal husbandry techniques....these designer mixes will not ever become a uniform, recognizeable breed. So far all the designer mutt breeders seem to want to breed F1 and F2 mixes. The "cockapoo" has been around for 50 years, and they're no closer to being a legit breed today than they were back then.

2. I'd like to see the "pet store puppy" go out of style...it should become as unpopular and "un-PC" as the fur coat. Fashion fur coats were all the rage 50 years ago; nowadays you're hard pressed to find a place that sells them. Hopefully we're heading down the same path with pet stores.

Some countries in Europe and elsewhere have apparently outlawed the "retail" commercial sale of puppies & kittens and it has made an impact in pet overpopulation & eliminated the puppymill problem. I'm not generally a fan of "laws" because in the US where some lawmakers pander to extreme special-interest groups (ahem, PETA), when you "give 'em an inch, they take a mile". IF the law would absolutely stop at RETAIL sales of pups & kittens ONLY and go no further....I would be in favor of it. There is no reason for puppies and kittens to be available in retail sales outlets. However, if lawmakers went this far, how hard would it be for PETA to push for increasingly restrictive laws against ANY kennels, until virtually every type of pet breeding was legislated out of existence.

3. Animal rights groups don't really want to emphasize this fact, but as somebody who's been following the issue since the mid to late 90's, I've seen euthanasia rates DROP. Early 1990's stats said that between 5-6 million dogs and cats were killed yearly....whereas the most recent statistics say it's 3 to 4 million every year.

There are certain parts of the US where "shelter overpopulation" does not EXIST and they actually bring in pets from overcrowded shelters in other states. I know there are a couple folks here who live in such a place. Some shelters on the west coast & northeastern US fall into this category if I recall. Definitely not the "norm" across the country but it IS happening in some places. I think the trend will spread.

So if anything, shelter populations & euth rates are slowly dropping and will continue to drop. Won't ever go away, but should get better. Education is making a difference, slowly but surely. More "high profile" celebrities supporting rescues & shelters (Oprah, Ellen, etc) are influencing people. This whole "green" trend does seem to have more people THINKING about their actions before they do things. People have access to information via the Internet- ease of access that has NEVER before existed in history. The potential exists for a lot of progress in the next 20 years- WITHOUT legislation or pandering to extremist groups :)

4. See above. I think that balanced, mainstream animal welfare advocacy groups have done a fine job; I feel that anybody who wants to help or donate should always seek out *local* charities before donating to any big national cause. Local groups are the ones in the trenches, doing the dirty work, making the most difference, hands-on.

Unfortunately, I see where this progress, education & growing public awareness has led groups like the HSUS to change their tune and pander to the "mainstream" simply because they see it brings in more support & donations. I don't think they've changed their core beliefs- just 10 years ago, they sounded a lot more like PETA with their goals & rhetoric and I've yet to see them retract any statements or make a change to their core mission statement. Hopefully this "wolf in sheeps clothing" that is now gaining increased mainstream recognition and LOTS of money, power & influence.....won't turn around & bite us in the end.

1. Since none of them are trying to develop a new breed or are even making any REAL progress to consistency that matches a fully drafted breed standard, the answer is no. 400+ already developed and existing purebreds. Do we REALLY need new ones?

2. More than likely no. As long as there is some idiot who will buy anything without thinking it through puppymills and bybs will always be in business on one level or another.

3. Many shelters are importing animals from other areas. One of the local rescues up here pull animals from high kill shelters down south.

4. If you mean like PETA, HSUS, Sea Shepherd, some branches of PAWS, that would be a big fat no. They are hurting the cause more than helping it.

1) Highly unlikely

2) Highly unlikely -- as long as there continues to be the idiot walking through the mall to buy a pair of shoes and stopping for a look at the petstore and emerging with a puppy its NEVER going to stop. Most people can't think beyond that moment of "ohhhhh I WANT!!".

3) Unlikely. I don't believe the population will keep growing. Many areas of the country are still importing dogs from other areas or even from out of the country.

4) Yes, I do think some progress is being made although still, people will buy a poorly bred dog at a reduced price rather than a well-bred one thinking "I just want a pet so what does it matter?". I grow tired of explaining why someone's whatever breed doesn't look like the ones on the TV dogshow ... and why it doesn't act like a normal whatever. I get tired of hearing "but I heard they were good with kids!" and having to say "yeah, except you bought a poorly bred one and haven't bothered to train it either".

5) And those of us who breed well bred purebreds are going to spend the next 20 years combatting the ignorant masses who actually believe the media's and AnimalRightista's rhetoric that breeding purebred dogs leads to health issues.

For those who think mixed breeds will never become accepted - go look at the Cesky terrier, now recognized by the AKC.

The only difference between that "breed" and a cockapoo is the Cesky breeds true and has an active parent club that pursued registration.

As for the rest - it's up to people to become better informed, not for any government to outlaw certain things. If the government outlawed commercial breeders (aka "puppy mills"), then who gets to define what a commercial breeder is. Is 20 breeding dogs a commercial breeder? 15? 10? And yes, there are great, responsible breeders that can have 10+ intact dogs in their kennels.

I fear for the future of all dogs, since I think the pendulum is swinging towards "animal rights", and you will see more and more laws that are against the breeding of dogs, against docking/cropping, against hunting (which limits how all gundogs, terriers and hounds can be used for their traditional purposes), etc., etc., etc., all in the name of dog "welfare".

Short and sweet and to the point.

1---Yes I do, ,because you get enough of the breed and demand rules over reasoning with AKC.

2---No, they will not stop..too many gullable people wanting to spend their rich money on a different looking dog, to be one of a kind, then bam, hey there goes 75 dogs just like mine.

3---The shelters will be overrun with all kinds of dogs, it does not matter what breed it is, and I do not believe they will kill after one hour.

4---Nope, they do not put the word out enough, they need to use the Media and mostly the TV, advertise the badness of it all, just ppamphletsand talking once in awhile is not working or they would be gone by now.

And, added, Peta is the first one that needs to be banned, shut them down...they do not care about animals, only the money they take in.

don't really know..... i do think though that the future will see people

accept how dogs will play a larger part within Society, it will be more

accepted that they are able to Communicate with us much more than

the present for instance... this is only the beginning.

In many places we will be able to have more dogs much more, where

in most inner places it will be a huge problem as they will be totally

banned... and their will be a lot of hiding out of pets... a little of hide

and seek if you please. Well that is what i think. I actually also hope

that in the future.....Vets bills will be only 10 percent of what they are

today. Well we can only HOPE